Judge won't face charges after beating video

Meanwhile, he accuses his daughter of revealing the footage to exact revenge

By LYNN BREZOSKY, STAFF WRITER

Updated 12:50 am, Friday, November 4, 2011

Photo: Rachel Denny Clow

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Hillary Adams, shown in 2005, says beatings from her father, Aransas County Court-at-Law Judge William Adams, "happened regularly for a period of time."

Hillary Adams, shown in 2005, says beatings from her father, Aransas County Court-at-Law Judge William Adams, "happened regularly for a period of time."

Photo: Rachel Denny Clow

Judge won't face charges after beating video

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A family court judge shown beating his teenage daughter in a viral YouTube video was unapologetic Thursday, accusing his daughter of using her "disability" for sympathy and posting the graphic footage to exact revenge because he threatened to take her Mercedes away.

Hillary Adams was also talking, appearing on NBC's Today show with her mother, who said she too was abused. Hillary Adams continued to use social media Thursday, tweeting that her father had cut off her cellphone.

Also Thursday, Rockport Police Chief Tim Jayroe said Aransas County Court-at-Law Judge William Adams won't face charges in the 2004 beating of this then-16-year-old daughter Hillary because the five-year statute of limitations has expired.

Had the incident come to light sooner, Adams likely would have been charged with causing injury to a child or other assault-related offenses, Jayroe said.

"We believe that there was a criminal offense involved and that there was substantial evidence to indicate that, and under normal circumstances ... a charge could have been made," Jayroe said.

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"If the public must know, just prior to the YouTube upload, a concerned father shared with his 23-year-old daughter that he was unwilling to continue to work hard and be her primary source of financial support, if she was going to simply 'drop out' and strive to achieve no more in life than to work part-time at a video game store," Adams said in the statement. "Hillary warned her father if he reduced her financial support, and took away her Mercedes automobile, which her father had provided, he would live to regret it. The post was then uploaded."

The judge's statement came as Aransas County's top elected official said that even if he isn't charged, the video likely has ruined Adams' career.

"I'm having a hard time believing that he can recover from this," said Aransas County Judge C.H. "Burt" Mills. "I don't think he'll be in the courthouse anytime soon."

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For now, a visiting judge has been brought in to handle Adams' cases, which include cases of domestic violence and child abuse.

On Thursday morning, Hillary Adams told the Today show she held on to her secret videotape until her father, told of it during an argument, dared her to air it.

Her mother, Hallie Adams, who in the video is heard going along with the beating, said she suffered from abuse and has since left the marriage.

"I lived in an environment of dysfunction," Hallie Adams said. "I was completely brainwashed and controlled."

'Happened regularly'

She said the judge continued to abuse and harass her even after she left four years ago.

Hillary Adams said the beatings "happened regularly for a period of time," and that she turned on the video camera on her dresser because she sensed what was about to happen, covering the little red light with a scarf.

Uploaded Oct. 27, the video has gone viral - garnering well over 2 million hits as of Thursday afternoon.

Jayroe said the beating in the video could meet the definition of injury to a child by both Adams and his former wife, but with the five-year limitation it becomes moot.

Injury to a child is defined as "intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence by act or intentionally, knowingly or recklessly by omission causes a child ... serious bodily injury, serious mental deficiency, impairment or injury, or bodily injury."

Craving technology

Hillary Adams' ataxic cerebral palsy, which she says made her crave technology, is not a severe enough disability to become a factor in any charges, Jayroe said.

"Her symptoms are that she has balance problems," he said. "But she lives on her own, in her own home, drives a car, buys her own clothes, cooks her own meals. By definition, that is not handicapped."

Judge Adams in his statement points out that his daughter has musical talent - she has competed at Carnegie Hall - and in media interviews she's demonstrated she is articulate and possesses a superior IQ. But he said she was irresponsible.

"It is regrettable that Hillary Adams, a bright and gifted person, would include in her post that she is or was a disabled or a special needs child. ... Hillary's condition was monitored as a child and her medical needs met," he said. "However, neither should a perfectly capable adult try to use an affliction as a device for media sympathy. It should now be apparent to the world that 'disabled' was mislabeled."

Judge Adams also expressed regret for the "interruption and inconvenience" the video has caused the Aransas County community. He said he is confident that when the "dust settles and international media attention has passed, and the work ahead, whether civil, criminal or administrative has taken its full course ... it will be concluded that Hillary Adams' actions in 2011 were misguided and misleading."